It might not be the Big House. But that's not going to keep Saline High School's Hornet Stadium from hosting the biggest football game in the state of Michigan this spring.

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With legendary Michigan Stadium undergoing a substantial renovation, the Michigan athletic department elected last week to move its April 12 spring football game to Saline. The game is set for a 1:30 p.m. kickoff at Hornet Stadium and will be broadcast live over the Big Ten Network.

"This is a great opportunity to showcase our schools, our facility and our community," said Saline athletic director Rob White. "It's an honor for our athletic department to be able to host an event like this.

"It makes us proud of the community we live in, that they've committed to building a facility that could host this event."

The spring game will be the de facto debut of new Michigan head coach Rich Rodriguez, part of the reason for a spike in media interest that will bring the BTN and possibly Fox Sports, which is currently expected to include live footage as part of a nationwide broadcast of spring games, among multiple other media outlets, to Saline.

The only downside to that interest, White said, is that the game has had to be closed to the general public. With the average Michigan spring game drawing approximately 20,000 fans and the stadium's total capacity not substantially more than 10,000 fans, White said that Saline and U of M were left with little choice but to limit attendance.

"It's going to be a big day for Saline. We would love for everyone in our community to be able to take part in an event like this," he said. "But logistically, it's just not possible. This is the only way we could host the event safely."

While many members of the Saline athletic department, school system and athletics teams will be able to attend, White said that attendance issues would ultimately be left up to Michigan and the U of M athletic department.

There are other concerns, both minor and major, to be smoothed out. A 25-second clock will have to be added. College hashmarks will need to be painted on the field. The biggest issue, White said, almost certainly will be a lack of parking space.

"It's an exciting time, but we've got a lot of work to do," he said. "We have one of the finest athletic complexes in the area, but we still do have some limitations."

Those limitations, however, weren't nearly enough to dissuade White and the Saline athletic department from pursuing the opportunity to host the Wolverines. When it became apparent that Michigan Stadium would not be ready in time, White began "putting out feelers" to see if Michigan might have an interest in coming to Hornet Stadium.

Although initial public speculation focused on the possibility of the game moving to Detroit's Ford Field, White was eventually able to meet with U of M athletic department staff, including Associate Athletic Director Joe Parker, and arrange for a guided tour of Saline's facility.

"When they came down and saw it for themselves, I think that obviously made a big difference," White said. "We've had a lot of different people who have told us that it isn't a high school site, that's it's comparable or better than Division III or Division II site."

In addition to logistical problems, having a Division I spring game on a high school campus also presents a number of compliance issues with NCAA regulations that deal with profit made from the game, recruiting guidelines and concessions revenue.

"We're honored to have them here. We in no way want to cause them any headaches," White said. "We just want to be a resource that's available to them."

In the end, White said, the benefits for both sides will far outweigh the potential issues.

"Our relationship with U of M has always been a positive one, and this will only strengthen that," White said, noting that Saline's coaches and players will have the chance to interact with Michigan's and that many past and present Wolverine coaches, including recent arrival Rodriguez, live in the Saline district.

The game also will be a homecoming of sorts for Michigan fullback Vince Helmuth and quarterback Nick Sheridan, both recent Saline graduates.

"It will do a lot for our athletic department, even besides the prestige or publicity," White said. "We just want to make ourselves available and maybe at some point in the future, they'll be able to help us out in some way."

For now, though, White's most concerned with dotting the I's and crossing the T's before the big day arrives.

"It's going to be surreal," he said.

March 28th, 2008, 11:27 am

steensn

RIP Killer

Joined: June 26th, 2006, 1:03 pmPosts: 13429

It'd be cool to go watch even as an OSU fan. I'd like to see what RR is going to attempt to do.

It'd be cool to go watch even as an OSU fan. I'd like to see what RR is going to attempt to do.

The article says he lives here in Saline ... I wonder where. Wherever bought, he got a good deal on a house.

No kidding, I like the Saline area. Wish my work was out there and not in Livonia. Woulda loved to be more in the country, maybe around Cabela's. I bet he got a killer house.

My office is in Southfield... brutal commute...

March 28th, 2008, 1:27 pm

RussMan

Pro Bowl Player

Joined: October 13th, 2005, 6:20 pmPosts: 2522Location: Michigan

GO SALINE HORNETS....

Nich Sheridan used to live a few houses down from me but his dad was hired away from Loyd Carr to coach for the NY Giants...

I'm going to try and get tickets to this thing...

_________________POTENTIAL is Nothing. PERFORMANCE is Everything.

March 31st, 2008, 7:02 pm

illinoiseric

Pro Bowl Player

Joined: March 31st, 2006, 1:19 pmPosts: 2570

I found out where RR is going to live ... not mansion-like or anything - but a really nice place. A steal if you go based on prices from 2-3-4 years ago... probably 35% less. I hope I get to meet him... seems like a cool guy. I might TP his house the night before the Michigan/Illinois game.

March 31st, 2008, 9:08 pm

RussMan

Pro Bowl Player

Joined: October 13th, 2005, 6:20 pmPosts: 2522Location: Michigan

illinoiseric wrote:

I found out where RR is going to live ... not mansion-like or anything - but a really nice place. A steal if you go based on prices from 2-3-4 years ago... probably 35% less. I hope I get to meet him... seems like a cool guy. I might TP his house the night before the Michigan/Illinois game.

Which neighborhood is he moving to.. I think Carr was/is in Lohr Lake.

_________________POTENTIAL is Nothing. PERFORMANCE is Everything.

April 1st, 2008, 10:19 am

steensn

RIP Killer

Joined: June 26th, 2006, 1:03 pmPosts: 13429

illinoiseric wrote:

I might TP his house the night before the Michigan/Illinois game.

That will be an interesting game. You would SOOO make the papers and get arrested though...

I found out where RR is going to live ... not mansion-like or anything - but a really nice place. A steal if you go based on prices from 2-3-4 years ago... probably 35% less. I hope I get to meet him... seems like a cool guy. I might TP his house the night before the Michigan/Illinois game.

Which neighborhood is he moving to.. I think Carr was/is in Lohr Lake.

West there - off of Maple. I really shouldn't say more than that.

steensn wrote:

illinoiseric wrote:

I might TP his house the night before the Michigan/Illinois game.

That will be an interesting game. You would SOOO make the papers and get arrested though...

I know - I wouldn't actually do it - it really stinks getting that crap out of your trees. I'd make sure I'd tell him I was going to do it if I ever met him...

There were some skeptics when Rich Rodriguez took over the Michigan football team.

Some were his new players.

But after 14 spring practices, they're realizing the payoff.

"I was learning, and it just became second nature one practice ago," U-M senior defensive end Tim Jamison said Saturday, after the Wolverines' final spring scrimmage, held at Saline High School. "I was talking to the coach (defensive coordinator Scott Shafer) and was like, 'Man, at the beginning I felt I was playing slower, just learning the concept. Now I feel like I've got the game plan down.' They say that's how it usually is when you play a coaching style for four years and then come into your last year with a whole different coaching style."

In a spring marked by change, on and off the field, the Wolverines looked Saturday like much of it is still taking hold.

In the controlled scrimmage, which featured Rodriguez and offensive coordinator Calvin Magee standing on the field 10 yards behind the offense, there were just as many mistakes as successes.

Redshirt freshman quarterback Steven Threet led the group of offensive starters and was generally efficient, making the day's crispest throws. But on many, the receivers' simply dropped the ball.

The second-team defense would get into the offensive backfield, forcing redshirt freshman tailback Avery Horn to the outside for a few significant gains.

The slick and frigid conditions contributed a bit to the sloppy play -- penalties were common as well -- but Rodriguez maintained his stance that this is all part of a larger plan. Though he probably finds it hard to evaluate with so many new players and schemes.

Was the offense better because of tailback Brandon Minor's easy touchdown runs? Was the defense better because of the pressure from the front seven? Can the secondary intercept opponents as easily as it did U-M's quarterbacks?

"We're being very generic today," Rodriguez said after the scrimmage, which was closed to the public, though friends, family and Saline students watched. "We wouldn't let the defense do too many things, wouldn't let the offense do some different things because, why show your hand? I don't know who's here. There may be folks who snuck in here that we don't want to see."

There's not much tangible to take away from the spring other than the improved conditioning. Every player pointed out his weight loss, increased stamina and ability to push further than he expected. That was clear in Saturday's no-huddle offense.

"This was like most of the scrimmages we've had," said Rodriguez, who will hold the 15th and final practice Wednesday. "There's some things I shake my head (at) and are really ugly and there's some that give you some hope. As a coach, I've learned to be a little more patient with our first spring."

_________________

April 13th, 2008, 9:18 am

illinoiseric

Pro Bowl Player

Joined: March 31st, 2006, 1:19 pmPosts: 2570

illinoiseric wrote:

RussMan wrote:

illinoiseric wrote:

I found out where RR is going to live ... not mansion-like or anything - but a really nice place. A steal if you go based on prices from 2-3-4 years ago... probably 35% less. I hope I get to meet him... seems like a cool guy. I might TP his house the night before the Michigan/Illinois game.

Which neighborhood is he moving to.. I think Carr was/is in Lohr Lake.

West there - off of Maple. I really shouldn't say more than that.

Correction on where RichRod is living (I should have know better than to trust intel coming from the women's wine-soaked bunko group )...

One of the Asst. Coaches has moved into the house that I knew about, and RichRod is renting somewhere else & building a new place on a cul de sac west of Saline.